Unveiling Game-Changing Policy Recommendations from the Ploutos Event

On June 8th, 2023, GAIA EPICHEIREIN hosted the Final Ploutos Event on “Policy Recommendations for a Sustainable Agri-food Sector.” This significant gathering, held at Copa Cogeca‘s premises in Brussels, aimed to engage key stakeholders in the EU agri-food sector. The event presented the “Preliminary set of Policy Recommendations” developed by the PLOUTOS Project, offering guidance to the European Commission (EC) and EU Member States in transitioning agri-food value chains towards sustainability.

The PLOUTOS Policy Recommendations are focused on two closely related categories:

1. Policy Recommendations for Rebalancing the Agri-Food Value Chain
2. Policy Recommendations for Enabling the Uptake of Digital Technologies in the Agri-Food Sector

First, recommendations for rebalancing the agri-food value chain aim to address existing imbalances and foster a fair and sustainable system. These proposals aim to create a more equitable distribution of value and promote collaboration across the sector.

The second category of recommendations focused on enabling the adoption of digital technologies within the agri-food sector. By leveraging innovative solutions, these policies seek to enhance productivity, sustainability, and efficiency throughout the value chain. Embracing digital technologies has the potential to revolutionize farming practices and unlock new opportunities.

The key objective of this final event was to lead to a clear consensus on prioritizing policies and defining the subsequent steps necessary to shape the final Policy Set. This Policy Set will facilitate the transition of agri-food value chains towards a sustainable model.

Ploutos was represented by its coordinator Dr Nikos MARIANOS (GAIA EPICHEIREIN) and Dr Ernst-Jan PROSMAN (Politecnico di Milano) who presented the project and its main outcomes. Mr. Patrick PAGANI from Copa Cogeca was the moderator of the event. The event featured esteemed speakers who contributed their expertise and insights to the discussions. The speakers are presented in the list below:

1. Nikos MARIANOS, Ploutos Coordinator, GAIA EPICHEIREIN (Ploutos representative, presenting the project and the policy recommendations)
2. Ernst-Jan PROSMAN, Assistant Professor, Politecnico di Milano (Ploutos representative, presenting the Sustainable Innovation Framework)
3. Gijs SCHILTHUIS, Head of Unit, Policy Perspectives (AGRI A.1), Strategy & Policy analysis, DG AGRI, European Commission
4. Alice PIGNACCA, Policy Officer, Farm to Fork Unit (SANTE E.1), Food Safety, Sustainability and Innovation, DG SANTE, European Commission
5. Pekka PESONEN, Secretary General, COPA-COGECA
6. Liam MacHale, Director, Brussels office, Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA)
7. Juan Corbalán García, Head of Brussels Delegation, Cooperativas agro-alimentarias Espana

The Final Ploutos Event successfully concluded with insightful discussions and valuable contributions from the participating speakers and stakeholders. The inputs collected during this event will be incorporated into the Final Ploutos Policy Recommendations, scheduled for release in September 2023. These recommendations will play a vital role in driving the transition of agri-food value chains towards a sustainable and resilient future.